Gas-generator.



M- KENNEDY.

GAS smmnuonf APPLIOATIQK FILED JUL? 23, 1907.

Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

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s E s s E N W W ATTORNEY MICHAEL KENNEDY, OF PERU, ILLINOIS.

GAS-GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

Application filed. July 23, 1907. Serial No. 385,169.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL KENNEDY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Peru, in the county of Lasalle and State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and usefullmprovements in Gas-Generators,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to im rovementsin,

that class of gas generators'w ich employ a liquid and dro it on a solid, thus generating a gas, and has or its object the production of a gas generator which is continuous in operation, that is my generator may be charged while in operation without in any manner affecting the generating capacity of the generator, or shutting it off. j j

A further object of my invention is to provide means for signaling when charging is necessary.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which j Figure 1 is a top view ofmy generator. Fig. 2 is a front view of my generator showing the valve, one of the generatingchambers,

I and the signalingdevice in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view through ig. 2 along a line A B.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views. 9

While my generator can be used to generate any of the gases that usually are generated by dropping liquids on solids, I will describe it as use it for generating acetylene gas such as is used for lighting pur oses.

In my generator 1 is the vesse retaining the liquid used for liberating the gas, said liquid being water for acetylene. 1 also serves as a general frame for fastening all the elemental parts comprising my invention and also has an ordinary gas holder 2 loosely fitting its interior circumference, said holder 2 being sealed by the liquid contained in 1. 1 has the usual gas supply pipe 3 from the generating chambers 11 and 13, and the delivery pipe 24, for feedin the main. Holder 2 has a projecting mem er 34 which slides over a positioning rod 33 fastened to frame 1 by means of a bracket 32, for keeping it in the path of a tapplet 30 which is fastened to a tappet rod 29 w ich is slidably mounted in said bracket 32 and bracket 31, both of which are fastened to the retainer or frame 1. Fastened to tappet rod 29is a collar 28 having a projection 35 which is pivotally connected to .a rod 27 which is also pivotallyconnected to the cock lever 26 of cook 25, said cook 25 being fastened to the retainer 1 as shown, and communicating therewith by means of aperture 36.

37 is the regulating aperture in the stem of cook 25, which is shown in Fig. 3 as just closed. Tappet rod 29 is held in the upper position shown, and which it always tends to retain, by means of the spring 38. From the manner in which cook 25 is connected with the tappet rod 29, it is seen, any vertical movement of the said tappet rod is communicated to said stem of cook 25 and hence regulates the amount of opening or the closing of regulating aperture 37 in said stem. lhus when the gasis delivered from holder 2 it gradually lowers until its projection 34 strikes tappet 30 when it will open regulating aperture 37 admitting more liquid to the generating chamber 11 or 13 (as will be explained in detail below) permitting the generation of more gas which again will cause holder 2 to rise, when the aperture 37 will be closed by means of spring 38 forcing ta pet rod 29 up in the ositlon shown. 'The a ove may be termed t e liquid regulating means of my gas generator.

Fastened to the forward end of cook 25, by means of a gland or packed joint on same,

.is the plug 8, of what may be termed a threecock 4 or valve which cock is further rigidly mounted by means of pipes 9 and 10 which are screwed into apertures 7 and 6 of said cock 4 and fastened to retainer 1 by means of brackets 39 and 40 as shown. Cock 4 has its rotatable lug 8 cored out as shown (see Figs. 3 and 2? so that liquid can flow through from cook 25 and be distributed to either aperture 6 or 7 by simply rotating the plug .8 to the right or the left, when it willfollow pipe 10 to generating chamber 11,

or pipe 9, when it will reach generating I chamber 13. It is evident from an.inspection of Fig. 2 that ifplug 8 is rotated further around to the right by means of handle 18 which is attached thereto, that the aperture 7 and consequently pipe 9 and generating chamber 13- will be out ofi entirely. This will enable the generating chamber 13 to be removed, emptied of the s ent material, again filled with fresh carbi and replaced if thelever 18 is moved to the left, the aperture 6, pipe 10 and generating chamber 11, will be cut off when the generating chamber when it will be ready for action. Similarly 11 can be recharged. The above may be termed the adjustable liquid disposing means of my gas generator. Generating chambers 13 and 11 consist of strong iron or steel vessels which are removably connected with pipes 9 and 10 and brackets 39 and 40 by means of clamps 14 and 12. Valve 4 has an aperture 5 which connects with the gas holder 2 at all times, by means of pipe 3 as above mentioned. Lever l8 slides along a quadrant 19 which has points indicating the proper position of lever 18 in operating the generators.

Fastened in apertures 15 and 17 in pipes 10 and 9, are pipes 16 and 41 (16 only is shown complete) which communicate with a chamber 20 having an elastic diaphragm 21 which conducts electricity. Adjustably fastened into the bottom of the chamber 20 and below diaphragm 21 is a contact member 22 which has a binding post 23 for connection with an electrical circuit. Contact member 22 is insulated electrically from the walls of chamber 20, so that when one conductor is fastened to any part of the generator and the other conductor to binding post 23, no current can flow when diaphragm 21 is in the position shown in Fig. 2. As soon as generating chamber 11 becomes inactive and fills with liquid which further flows through aperture 15 into pipe 16 where the pressure which it exerts forces the diaphragm 21 against the contact member 22, completing the electrical circuit and ringing a bell, or operating any other signaling device which may be connected in the circuit. A petcock 42 is used to drain the liquid from above diaphragm 22 before recharging the generating chamber.

It will be seen when plug 8 of valve 4 is in the position shown in Fig. 2 that the liquid, if only the small amount which is required is admitted, will flow into the generating chamber 11. As the carbid is gradually used up, the generating chamber 11 gradually fills up with the liquid, and when said chamber is full," the liquid will flow over the edge of the cored part of plug 8 and into the chamber 13 which contains a fresh charge of carbid, which will immediately generate gas. As above mentioned, the liquid will alsohave filled pipe 16 and chamber 20 giving the signal that chamber 11 must be recharged.

My generator is operated as follows: Chambers 11 and 13 are filled with carbid, the plug 8 of cock 4 set as shown in Fig. 2. Water is put into the retainer 1 so that the level of same is considerably above the aperture 36 (see Fig. 3). As soon as delivery pipe 24 is opened the pressure under holder 2 (due to its weight) is released, which causes the holder 2 to drop, which it does until 34 strikes tappet 30 and depresses it, which action opens cook 25 which permits water to enter cock 4 and then entering generating chamber 11, when gas will be generated raising holder 2 again until it shuts off the water supply, thus stopping the action in the generating chamber. The above process will be repeated, whenever any amount of gas is drawn from holder 2, and will continue as long as any unspent carbid remains in chamber 11. When the carbid is all spent, the water will rush in rapidly (because holder 2 will drop rapidly since no gas is generated) filling the chamber 11, the signaling device and then flowing over the edge of the cored plug 8, will enter the generating chamber 13 which immediately gives a supply of gas. As above mentioned the signal is also given, and at any time, convenient for the operator, before the carbid is spent in chamber 13, he simply throws the lever 18 to the left until plug 8 communicates fully ith chamber 13 and has cut off entirely chamber 11, which chamber 11 may then be removed as above explained, then recharged, put on in place again and the signal pipe drained, when the handle 18 is turned again. a little to the right until it is as far to the left of the vertical central position as it is to the rigl'it as shown in Fig. 2, when the action with chamber 13 will be same, as above explained, for chamber 11.

It is evident from the above description that in my invention a continuous quantity of gas is supplied, and that the action is practically automatic, when one generating chamber is exhausted, the other is immediately put in action, and the spent one can be removed and recharged, without affecting the operation of the generator. There is no danger from explosion, since the generating chamber, when it is removed, is full of water, all of the gas having been displaced by the water and delivered to the holder.

It will be understood, of course, that the various portions of my device could be used without the others, or in connection with features greatly modified. In short, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to one particular form and grouping of the several features, elements or parts; but I have here presented that form of my device that will produce the desired result, with the intention of having it taken in a sense diagrammatic or descriptive of that class of devices which can be produced and any one of which would contain the substance of all, or the most of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a continuous gas generator, a tank, a gasholder having a liquid seal, a cock communicating with said liquid seal whose plug opening is controlled by the vertical movement of the gasholder, in combination with two gas generating chambers and a three way valve which has a cored plug, having an aperture through its center by means of which aperture said cored plug is rotatably connected to the end of said cock, said valve ment of the gasholder, two removable gas generating chambers and a three way valve which has a cored plug, having an aperture through its center by means of which aper ture said cored lug is rotatably connected to the end of sai cock, said valve havingan aperture in communication with the gas holder, and each of the other two apertures connected with one "of the gas generating chambers. c

3. In a continuous gas generator, a gas holder, liquid regulating means communicating with the liquid seal of and controlled by the vertical movement of said holder, in combination with two gas generating chambers and adjustable liquid disposing means, said means comprising a valve casing having three apertures two'of which communicate with the separate gas generating chambers and one with said gas holder, a cored plug rotatably mounted in said valve casing and rotatably connected with the cock of said liquid regulating means.

4. In a continuous gas generator, a gas holder, liquid regulating means comprising a cock communicating with the liquid seal of and controlledby the vertical movement of said holder, in combination with two removable gas generating chambers and adjustable liquid disposing means, said means comprising a valve casing having three apertures two of which communicate with the separate gas generating chambers and one with. said gas holder, a cored plug rotatably mounted in said valve casing and. rotatably connected with the cock of saidliquid regulating means.

MICHAEL KENNEDY.

Witnesses:

JOHN J. MASSIEOU, -W1LLLAM M. SoANLoN 

